Yesterday was frustrating for me near Snowville, Utah because there were raptors all around but not many of them were close enough to photograph and the ones that were close were either vey skittish or wouldn’t fly off of the power poles even after long periods of time.

But this juvenile Swainson’s Hawk was tolerant of the pickup with two big lenses sticking out of it even after we went past it, turned around and came back to photograph the young hawk.

The immature bird even yawned while I was photographing it. These two frames were taken with a farmer’s fields showing below the rusty wire fence and although it looks like sky above the fence in the background it is really distant mountains with the blue sections being shadows from clouds that were overhead. Strange, but true.

The Swainson’s might have stayed around longer but a big rig drove past and the juvenile Hawk took flight. I wish I had bumped my EV up 1/3 of a step because I had to increase the exposure of this frame a smidge in Photoshop and I don’t like doing that because it can increase any visible noise.

I wasn’t happy that the semi went by when it did but I’m happy this bird was perched on the fence because the only other decent images I got yesterday were of a Turkey Vulture who will also make an appearance on my blog soon!

It seems that even a Hawk’s yawn is contagious. I loved the image and everytime I scrolled back… I yawned.
I am very glad that this youngster ‘saved the day’ for you. And us.

Merrill Ann Gonzales
September 17, 2013 at 1:50 pm

This Swainson’s is lovely…. (odd adjective to describe a hawk, I know…but true.) Funny, yesterday, in the way to Audubon we came across a adult and a fledgling Black Vulture….we usually get the Turkey Vultures…
I have a lot of trouble photographing hawks for the same reasons you mention here… they are usually too far away or moved faster than my reflexes and I end up with an empty frame. I’ve learned to “try” to sit and draw them best I can in my sketch shorthand… and then to work out the glitches when I get back in my studio. That’s why some of your photos are so great for me because I can see where I’ve gone wrong and do the patch.
But we don’t have any Swainson’s Hawks around here that I’ve seen… so this post is a pleasure. Many thanks.

hi
i m just coming back from 2 weeks in holidays near ponds and sea shore, plenty of pictures taken to sort and organise too (pfffff long work in view)
happy to see you last pictures there
it s a very nice serie, the one in fligth is beautifull, thanks mia

Yes, I too like the yawn. If it had not been for you telling us what was in the background, I would have thought it was sky.I took note of your comment about upping a stop in-camera versus in Photoshop.

Utahbooklover
September 17, 2013 at 11:43 am

Nice photos, Mia. My favorite is the one in flight. BTW yesterday afternoon, sitting on our backyard gate was a juvenile Cooper’s hawk — I think. Five minutes of joy watching it and snapping a few images through the glass door with my point and shoot Canon.

patty chadwick
September 17, 2013 at 7:16 am

Beautiful little bird…love yawn shot. If it wasn’t for you and Ron, I’d never even see a great,big bird yawn.

Sonja Ross
September 17, 2013 at 4:03 am

I really like the one of the yawn! Sometimes people walking are just as bad as the semi too!

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